little cupola on the roof.

"Why do you have ground-glass windows on this side of the house?" asked
Elsie, as they passed the window on the landing.

Captain Davis laughed.

"Well, it is pretty nigh ground-glass now," he answered, "but it wa'n't
when it was put in. The sand did that. It blows like all possessed when
there's a gale on."

"Do you mean that those windows were ground that way by the beach sand
blowing against them?" asked Ralph, astonished.

"Sartin. Git a good no'therly wind comin' up the beach and it fetches
the sand with it. Mighty mean stuff to face, sand blowin' like that is;
makes you think you're fightin' a nest of yaller-jackets."

With the telescope in the cupola they could see for miles up and down
the beach and out to sea. An ocean tug bound toward Boston was passing,
and Elsie, looking through the glass, saw the cook come out of the
galley, empty a pan over the side, and go back again.

"Let me look through that a minute," said Captain Eri, when the rest had
had their turn. He swung the glass around until it pointed toward their
home away up the shore.

"Perez," he called anxiously, "look here quick!"

Captain Perez hastily put his eye to the glass, and his friend went on: